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lprongs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
So glad I finally read this, and finished just in time for Eid alAdha (of which there are a few stories in this collection)! Full of so many diverse experiences from around the world, different emotions, family situations, and stages of growing up, but all fit for a juvenile audience without infantilizing any of it. Also cannot recommend this book without mentioning the fantastic illustrations by Sara Alfageeh. Overall, a very joyous, wholesome, and heartwarming collection I will be even more happy to recommend now!
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Islamophobia, Grief, Car accident, War, and Classism
More CWs:raindrops333's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Racism and War
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Death of parent
kaji's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Islamophobia and Death of parent
smashley_rr's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Enjoyed these diverse short stories focused around Eid celebrations and traditions! Learned a lot about different Muslim traditions all over the world for Eid, and also discovered some new authors to check out! Great light book, easy to pick up, read a story, and then come back for another later!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Islamophobia, and Classism
calamitywindpetal's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Islamophobia, and Car accident
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is a lovely, affirming collection of short stories about different Muslim characters celebrating Eid. Each story focuses on a new character, but they all encompass themes of friendship, family, love, and togetherness. There are messages of hope, self-acceptance, and growth woven into the collection and I really enjoyed reading it on audio.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying and Cancer
spinesinaline's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was really sweet and I learned a lot! I think it'd make a great collection for young readers and so glad I read it in season
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Cancer and Car accident
emily_mh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow!! This was my first five star read of 2022 and it deserved each and every star. This anthology promises hope and joy and it DELIVERS. There was incredible diversity of both experiences and identities represented, which I loved. My personal favourites were Perfect by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Just Like Chest Armour by Candice Montgomery. I also really enjoyed the graphic novel contribution called Seraj Captures the Moon by G. Willow Wilson and Sara Alfageeh - I think it would make an amazing full-length graphic novel.
As a side-note, I listened to the audiobook which was read by Siiri Scott and Neil Shah. This was really well done; I especially liked Scott’s narration.
Ugh, I didn’t want this to end and now I’m sad that it has.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Islamophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Bullying, Death, Infertility, Sexism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, and Medical content
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Once Upon an Eid is a wonderful collection of short stories and, being completely honest, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I’m not always a short story person and in themed collections like this there tends to be a lot of redundancy That’s not true of Once Upon an Eid and there was not a single short story I felt was repetitive or poorly written. I enjoyed them all.
Although Once Upon an Eid is a book intended for middle grade readers, it’s a good primer for folks who don’t know much about Islamic culture or are interested in understanding Eid and even Ramadan a little better. While many of the stories include a little conversation about the Prophet Mohammad, the book is not overly religious or off-putting, as can occasionally happen with books focusing on religious holidays. Instead, Once Upon an Eid celebrates the many similarities and differences between varying Eid traditions, and present the holiday in such a way that it’s easy for outsiders to understand and learn. I really liked it. And I learned things!
Each piece is well-written. All the characters stand on their own. There isn’t any interconnectivity in the stories as sometimes happens in themed anthologies, but in this case I liked that. I think the way each story was written allowed a greater cross-section of the overall community and I appreciated the diversity of celebration and understanding shown in the book.
Once Upon an Eid is an easy recommend. It’s cute, down-to-earth, sneakily educational, and well-rounded. Each story is a quick read and enjoyable on its own. As a whole, this collection is a stellar example of an excellent short story collection, and it shares the voices of many different Muslims from many different backgrounds. Loved it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia and Death of parent
Minor: Religious bigotry and War